Greenhouse Blog April 8-10

Yujing Ma & James Duncan

Friday April 8, 2016

It has been a little cold this weekend as it seems to have often been this ever changing spring. That said, the daily temperature and humidity reading aspect of our greenhouse assignment seems to be particularly important.

In the morning of our first day, James walked the crop and examined the PRIVA data in the morning, an essential tool to monitor the temperature conditions. Meanwhile at the A.M. Cuddy Gardens, I was struggling with my CLT hands-on exams. When I arrived back at the greenhouse, he had already completed several items on our list of what needed doing that day. I am so glad that I have such a dedicated and reliable partner.

Once I returned, we filled ten hanging baskets with the Pro-mix media in to be sent to the Cuddy Gardens later this week. These hanging baskets are made with a very dense cardboard material which is strong enough to hold more than 20 kilograms and has the added bonus of being completely biodegradable. Later in the afternoon, I went to check the seedling flats. Friday, despite being a very cold day, there were no clouds in the sky; the bright sun would quickly dry out the exposed and shallow seedling flats. If the seedlings dry out, the tiny plants will almost certainly die.

In the greenhouse it is crucial to pay attention to watering time. Generally, it is best to water in the morning. If the plants in the greenhouse stay wet into the evening and overnight, rates of disease inevitably increase. Last but not the least, greenhouse staff should avoid by all means watering in humid or rainy weather condition, as the increased humidity will prevent water from evaporating off of leaf surfaces and again put the plants at risk.

Saturday April 9, 2016

We arrived at the greenhouse before eight o’clock and checked the temperature in the morning. The temperature was a little bit lower than on Friday morning, and at noon, it began to snow. We used the entire morning doing indoor plant maintenance. The registrar center, where several of the indoor plants we were working with that day, was only open between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. so we had to be very efficient to make sure we finished everything before they closed.

We first went to H building to return a couple plants we would be working with. We discovered they were infested with scale, a common pest which produces a sticky sap like substance called honeydew. Scale can be very difficult to treat, because the insect makes a protective shell around its body. We attempted to treat them using insecticidal soap, this can be a useful and environmentally friendly application which is often used to eliminate the soft bodied insects. It works by contacting the insects and suffocating them, however; after the treatment it is crucial to wash the plant foliage to remove the product, as it can do the same thing to the plants. Insecticidal soap must also not be applied on a hot or sunny day outdoors, as insecticidal soap will burn the plant foliage.

We went to residence building three to clean up and transplant several indoor tropical plants. The plants we moved look much better in their new places, and seem much more natural and beautiful.

 In the afternoon, we moved and washed the heating mat to the last bench for our new seeding flats. Sanitation is always the most important element to preventing disease. James and I calculated how many flats would fit in the limited space provided on the heating mat. For the labelling part, we disagreed over the common name. He insisted that the Salvia farinacea is most commonly known just as salvia. I checked google, which said it was called mealy cup sage. I trusted my partner, so I gave my right for him. No matter what the common name is, as a nearly graduated Horticulture Technician student I highly recommend this plant to horticulture fans. It is a mainly pest-free, low -maintenance, deep blue flowered plant and it is hardy to USDA zone seven. The shining bright flowers will last from the summer to fall. I can imagine how lovely they will be after these seeds grow up. We prepared 60 flats of growing media for transplanting our seedlings into, but still have 45 flats to be done Sunday.

Sunday April 10, 2016

      In the morning, we continued the seeding and preparing the flats for transplanting. We also cleaned and sterilized the dirty pots around sink carefully organized them in the equipment room. James walked the crop and then watered using different watering attachments.

      After we finished our lunch, we started to do some cuttings for our client orders. The list included Dichondra, Fuchsia, Plectranthus, Alternanthera, Senecio, Abutilon, and Breynia nivosa. They are all excellent annual potting plants for the whole summer season, and can be kept over winter indoors.

      As we approach the end of our two-year tenure as students, many may be worried about leaving their campus lives, but most of us probably feel concerned for the coming week of tests, particularly those students who still have their weekend duties! We are pressed for time, but personally speaking, I quite enjoy this feeling. It is a good chance to challenge oneself to be the best you can be!